2005 ROCK-TOBER CHEMO GIRLS

ravdeb

OMG Kelly! I feel so badly for you! YIKES! I go for mine Sept 6th. I'm not nervous at all...honest! Just want to do it and get it over with. The center where I'm doing this is above the mall so I plan to shop afterwards..you know...retail therapy.... I always find something I like to do when I have to do stuff like this. Had smoothies every day of rads! I try to think about THAT and not the dang test! Hope it works for me this time. It's the US I get on Sept 12th that will startle me, I think. A year ago the US technician told me I'd better see a doctor FAST! I remember that panic very well. Makes me jitter just to think about it!

TRACY!!! Today is your turn. Let us know how it goes!

Gotta run and do some retail therapy..this time with a friend who is looking for "bathroom furniture" as she put it, at IKEA. We decided we feel like we are abroad when we go in that store!!!

debbie444

Kelly, I am so sorry that you went through all of that. I dont get my first mammo untiul Jan 07, that will be 21 months after my op! They said they leave it to make sure the breast is back to normal and all treatment is done. I dont think that is too strange now i have heard what happened to you.
Ravdeb - they have a hospital in a shopping centre??????????????????? Did i read that right??

Aquafest - is it a bird, is it a plane, no ...its SUPERTRACEY!!!! Wow, they obviously have a lot of faith in you- good for you!

Laura - thinking of you as you wait.

Tracey- i only have your old address so i need you and Tadah to pm me so i can send your rock. Think it will be Whitby in the rain!

HUgs to all
Debbie

debbie444

Tadah - did you use to live over here? America - Bournemouth is a long way for a cold paddle and a stick of rock!!!!
Debbie

sherryhaire

Well I am house sitting at my sisters for a few days while she is out of town and finally get to use a computer mine finally gave up a week or so ago and I have been having withdrawels being able to know how everyone is doing, Hope to get a new computer really soon, within the next week or two. Know that you are all in my thoughts and hope everyone is well

Graycie

I thought I would check in quick before I go to work. Tracy Good Luck with your test today and kelly I am so sorry you had to go through all you had to go through yesterday. Laura I hope you get the results of your CT scan soon so you can put your anxiety to rest. I hate all these test's but then again when they come out good it helps put my mind to rest. I think I really screwed up getting my mammo 2 weeks after radiation. I think that is why I still have so much swelling. Who know's if it was even an accurate reading, I sure hope so. I don't go back now until December.

Well, I better get going......Everyone have a good day! Ravdeb , have fun shopping!
Graycie

Anonymous

Hey girls -
I just took Xanax to calm me down a bit while I play the waiting game.

Kelly -
What a horrible experience! I feel bad you had to go through that. When is someone going to design a mammo that's not so barbaric!

EVERYONE -

2 months ago I was due for my 6 month mammo. But instead I asked for a BREAST MRI - mainly because I have very dense breast tissue and supposedly the MRI is more accurate - but also because you don't have put your boob in that damn vice grip! So, going forward...you all may want to request that instead.

Laura

RoseMarie

Hi ladies!!
Seems like when I get on here lately I end up griping so forgive me as I gripe some more...Does anyone else have issues with your insurance company??? I am so TIRED of having to call and ALWAYS straighten out some stupid claim or bill or something. I was just told 5 minutes ago that my insurance company doesn't have any record of a referral from my PCP for an oncologist - OH SHUT UP!! Well, they fricking paid for chemo from January through March! They don't want to pay for my port flushes??? AAAGHHHHHH!!!!!!
Okay, I'm going for hopefully my last flush today - yay!!
Well, my first surgery was September 16th last year - my exchange surgery will be the 15th (think of me on your "anniversaries")
Kelly - here's a big ((((((HUG)))))) Wish we lived closer!! Can soooo relate!!!!!!!!!!
Amy - I remember feeling that way too when my husband and I drove to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville for the first time. It was so emotional and I was thinking the same thing - I'm not supposed to be here - this is where SICK people go!!
Debbie - you are sooo sweet!! And such a great auntie!! You have 1 niece here - Kiersten and 2 nephews John Michael and Justin
Paula, you look great!! Have fun on your trip!!
Tracy - loved the article! Good luck
Everyone else hugs and love coming at ya!! Gotta go get that port flushed...

TracyNY

Quote:

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Tadah - did you use to live over here? America - Bournemouth is a long way for a cold paddle and a stick of rock!!!!
Debbie

---

Born and raised in East Ham, luv!! Cockney to the core. I live in Brooklyn now but I am originally from London.

Everyone, raise your glasses! Its my birthday, I am 40 years old today. Thanking God that I made it through this year and planning on having a good knees up tonight!!

ravdeb

Debbie..there is a medical center on the top floor of a mall not far from here and there is a mammography place there. So, it's not a hospital above the shopping center but it IS a doctors office with mammography and US.

Will actually be there tomorrow because my daughter needs to see the skin doctor urgently and that's where her office is. Please tell me it's nothing! One of her moles started bleeding (and I've had this dang doctor look at it a million times!) so I'm very worried. Trying to stay cool for my daughter. She's 22 years old.

Laura..hope you can stay calm til tomorrow. Hope it's all clear!!!!

Rosemarie...haven't yet encountered the insurance stuff. Have been avoiding it as they always give me troubles. I will have to get into that on Sunday. Hopefully I'll have no problem with all the tests I need to have done in the next few weeks. Haven't called the cancer center for the appt. with the onc. Can't bring myself to call there yet....I have time anyway...

Hope this is your last flush Rosemarie!

Laura.. there is no way they will give me a permit to do an MRI instead of mammogram. When I need an MRI for other important things, it's really tough to get, even when that is the only test to take. Since there IS mammogram, there is no way the insurance will cover me for it. That totally stinks, but that's the case. Geez..they wouldn't give me the Taxol either!

ake

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TADAH!!!! WHAT A GREAT MILESTONE I'm going to dinner tonight with my breast cancer group for young women and I will definitely have a drink in your honor

debbie444

Tadah - how come you didnt let us know in advance? We could have held a virtual party for you. I for one will wave my rum and coke in the air for you ( even if you are a southerner!)
Ravdeb - hope all will go ok for your daughter. Would you be better with a different dr??
Rosemarie - i am sorry you are going through all of this - that is really stinky as my daughter would say! It is one thing i am thankful for. We may have to queue but at least its free!
I had my letter through about my bonescan today - yes i am on the list but its a 16 week list! The consultant said i was none urgent, so it is nice to be at the bottom of a list for once!
The woodland festival was great. We wove wicker fish, lit fires with flints, listen to a green man storyteller and watched chainsaw carving etc. Dont think i will be reverting to nature tho - damn cold over here for that!
Have a good night out Amy!
Laura, thinking of you
Debbie

ake

http://www.susantallman.com/bcposter.htm

Someone from the youngsurvival coalition made this poster (I'm on it too!). I think it's fantastic.

Anonymous

Happy birthday girlfriend! You're still the hottest 30 year old I know!

Anonymous

Kelly,
I don't know what you need to do to get a breast MRI, but you really need to try that next time. I'm thinking of you and praying for you.

Laura, hoping your scans turn out fine. Let's all have a cold beer and toast our friend Tadah!!

debbie444

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TADAH!!!!!!


Go strut your stuff!
Have a great night!

Debbie

TracySeattle

Tadah!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! You are just a youngster! Have a drink for each of us today to celebrate!!!

You know, I love having drinks when I go out or have people over and a glass of wine in the evening when I get home from work is so nice, but I am afraid to drink too much since I read that consuming the equivalent of one drink/day increases your risk of breast cancer/recurrance by 30%. Do you all worry about that too?

I am off to my Mammo in about 45 minutes. Kelly - I will be thinking of you, sweetie. I am so sorry you had a rough time. It sounds like my Oncologist is going to get the results today so that he can look at them.... I hope so!

Laura - I am thinking of you and saying a prayer. I know it will all be OK....

Debbie, sounds like you had fun. I am so glad!

Deb - I am thinking of you and your daughter. Prayers are coming your way too...

Amy have fun tonight!

Laters!
t

ake

good luck tracy!!!

marymelodi

TaDah: May you be happy and healthy in this next stage of your life. Happy, Happy birthday!!!!!
Mary

Anonymous

Thank you everyone for all your support, it really means alot to me.

Tadah, Happy Birthday, girlfriend, you deserve to celebrate in style!

Graycie ... looks like you learned a new trick with all your highlighting!!! And to think last year, you couldn't post a picture!!

Amy, love the poster! I would order a poster and bring it to the doctors for them to hang it up!!

Tracy, let us know how it goes. For me, I have to wait for the mammogram to be read but as I already know, they will call right away if something is wrong or different than last year.

Laura, any news?

Brenda, yes, I will ask about that mri next time.

Sherry, glad you are back online!! Have fun house-sitting!

Graycie

Hey Kelly, I know I'm not too good on the computer but I do know how to highlight....HA......Just kidding, your right about the picture I still don't know how to insert a picture in the post and I think I just got lucky with the avatar.(wasn't too lucky with trying to insert a birthday cake for Tadah either)

Happy Birthday Tadah,I hope you are out living it up..How come you don't have a birthday cake next to your name?

To all you girl's that had tests, I wish you the best of Luck with the results. I have a good feeling that everyone will get good results.

Laura, I think an MRI would be good for me too since my BC went undetected with the mammogram. I don't know if I trust them anymore. They gave me a sonogram along with the last mammogram. As far as the port, I am really not sure why they aren't taking it out. He keeps telling me to wait to see how my blood tests come out but I don't see him again until October. The BS said when the ONC gives him the OK he will take it out. I am wondering if maybe it has something to do with the neg. nodes and the aggressive nature of my tumor or the fact that I am not pushing to have it out. I don't want to think about a reoccurrence. I guess I will just wait until they are sure I should have it out. I certainly don't want to go through having it put back in.....
Doe's anyone else still have the port in besides me and Rosemarie?

Ravdeb, I hope everything is OK with your daughter. My daughter had a scare too. She is paranoid like her mom and thought she had BC but I think she is OK. She had a rash on her breast but it seems to be going away. That is how mine started so that is why she is panicking. She is going for a mammogram in a couple weeks. I just pray she never has to go through what we have all been through.

TracySeattle

Bad afternoon at the hospital.

I go in for my Mammo thinking I was gonna breeze thru it, visit the oncologist and be on my way...... But NO!!! After the first set of pics, the mammo tech came back and said they wanted additional films. Then after those, she went away and came back to say that they wanted magnification of two spots in the same breast where the lump was removed. By now I am really upset..... After the 3rd set of slides she comes to tell me that she is taking me to ultrasound as the Dr. does not like one particular spot. Deja vu from last year--exact same thing happened. So as I wait for the ultrasound tech, I was sitting there thinking - this time I just need to have a mastectomy and be done with it and wondering what kind of chemo they are going to give me this time....

The ultrasound tech started the procedure and then went to get the Dr. after he looked at the ultrasound, he told me that the changes that he was seeing are due to the radiation and how it changes the tissue, but he wanted to be entirely sure that nothing was there.... Phew! Man I was scared.

So, after that, I head up to the cancer center - 2 hours late for my appointment there. The Oncologist confirmed that Chemo Brain is FOR REAL (of course we all already knew that--but I didn't think a Dr. would own up to it) He said that it can last for several years. GREAT.

As I was sitting in the waiting room, I noticed that the knuckles on my left hand were swollen (it has been sore for a couple of days). So I mentioned it and guess what? I have Lymphadema. I have a hangnail on one of my fingers that he suspects caused it to flare up, so I have to take antibiotics to help the cut to heal and go to visit the Lymphadema clinic. He told me that I should get regular manicures so that I don't get hangnails.... Too bad insurance won't pay for them! LOL.

My Oncologist is a cool guy - we laughed and joked a lot. I felt much better when I left there, but I did not catch the bus until 5pm--then had to go wait for the antibiotic prescription to be filled. I didn't get home until almost 7pm!!!

All in all, it was almost much worse. I am so glad it all worked out OK....

Oh yeah and I asked him about the drinking thing. I told him that I like to have a glass of wine when I come home from work. He said "well, wine is good for your heart". I asked him if that meant that I needed to decide if I was going to die from cancer or heart disease. He then said, "Well, you might not remember how many drinks you have had (referring to my memory issues)." After we laughed about that, he said that the studies about drinking and recurrance have not really been conclusive and he does not see a problem with drinking in moderation.... YAY!!!!

Well, that is my one year Mammo story..... Now I am going to go pour myself a drink! LOL....

Graycie

Tracy, I am glad to hear everything turned out OK for you even though it had to be a very nerve racking day. I would have been a wreck but it had a good outcome so that is good except for your hand. I didn't know you could get lymphodema just in your hand. Now I am a alittle worried since my left hand swell's from time to time. I always thought that lymphodema started in the upper arm. Hopefully the antibiotics will help you. Don't drink too much with them though, haaaaa. Believe me you deserve a drink after what you went through.
Gracyie

Anonymous

Tracy: That was one heck of an afternoon. Glad that's over! BTW it's the red wine that is supposed to be good for your heart. Sleep tight tonight!

ravdeb

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!



Hope it was wonderful!

ravdeb

Tracy...
I've already written to you about your quite eventful mammo day. UGH!

Glad to hear some good news about drinking though! Since I've been back, I haven't felt the need for my usual drink!

But, I may need one later. Leaving in a bit to check out my daughter's ugly mole. Yea..I wanted to take her to a different doctor but my dh thought it was better to take her to this one. My daughter knows her well and the doc knows her well, so.... At any rate, I will make sure the dang thing gets removed and biopsied and that's all I need this doctor for anyway..to refer her for the biopsy. And she may be able to get my daughter in quicker since she will want to please ME after her misdiagnosis with the scabies.

At any rate...I'm really nervous about this whole thing because I feel really bad vibes about this.... My cousin died from melanoma when she was about 30 years old. My girlfriend has it but it was insitu and they got it all out with no treatments but she gets these moles removed all the time and sees a doctor every 6 months. I don't want my daughter to go through any of this!!!!

Be well everybody. Fingers crossed for good results for all those having tests and mammos now.

debbie444

Tracey - thankgoodness it was all OK. I suppose we should be greatful that you see to have a very attentive team there - it doesnt look like they are ever going to miss anything EVER! I personally would rather have them over eager to refer than ' hmm we wull keep an eye on it, come back in 6 months'!
Ravdeb. I hope all goes well for your daughter. My dad has had cancerous moles removed 5 times, each time with just a local anaesthetic and no follow up treatment. Apart from a mis shapen ear he has no bad effects. i guess what we have to keep tremembering is that there are lots of different types of cancer, the only thing they have in common is a name!
Hope it doesny come to that tho!
Debbie

ake

ravdeb....good luck with your daughter. please keep us informed!

tracy...what a story. i'm so glad you're okay. sorry about the lymphadema. someone last night in my group told me she just found out she has it in her breast! it's ridiculous.

laura...any news yet??

TracyNY

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes. I got flowers and gifts and a lovely dinner out. Only one glass of wine though.

I am extending my birthday hours until the weekend so that I can wring all the fun out of it that I possibly can. I have another date tonight and I am lining one up for tomorrow. My "jump-off" has a party on Saturday night so my card is pretty full.

I got this resource from the LE thread, a book called "Lymphedema: A breast cancer patient's guide to prevention and healing". Its by J. Burt and G. White ISBN# 089793458X. $14.95 well spent. If you don't have LE, it has great information on exercises to keep from getting it.

Mine had been creeping in for some time, I just thought nothing of it. When I was driving and had my arm on the window, the crease would press into my flesh deeply. I thought it was because my arms are just fat! Its an easy read with lots of information.

Happy 10th anniversary Laura. Let us know how it was when you and that freaky husband you caught down at the nudist colony enjoyed it when you come up for air!!

Sorry that we're having difficulties, it has been a challenging year and I hope everything works out okay for everyone.

ravdeb

Tadah..that's the way to celebrate!!! I love it when people know how to squeeze out as much of the good stuff as possible!!! enjoy!!!

Laura???? How did it go???

Well, I'm back from taking my daughter to the doctor. The doctor agreed that her mole needed to be removed and she has given her a referral so that she can have a ps do it. She thinks the ps would do a better job so that it won't scar as badly. She said it's the same ps she took her own daughter to.

So, tomorrow morning I will get that appointment set up. I do know that there are lots of different cancers and my dad has had skin cancer on his face with no real problems. Reagan had it too! I just get scared because when a mole bleeds, it is one of the symptoms of melanoma and that cancer scares me lots!

She said it will take about 3 weeks for the path report to come in. GEEEEEZ that's a long time! I will tell the surgeon to speed it up. THREE WEEKS?????

My daughter is more concerned about the surgery hurting her than about cancer. I don't think she is as worried as I am. I did tell her that most of these things are benign but of course I don't believe that cuz they said that to ME and that was pretty far from what I got!

So... we will see what happens.....

In the meantime...more sad news. A young boy, 17 years old, died in a pre-draft training for a pilots course (something you must pass in order to get into the pilots course). They say he died of heat exhaustion. He told his officer he felt unwell, he rested under a tree in the shade,and fainted. He was pronounced dead in the hospital. Both of my sons played basketball with him. They weren't close friends of his but they knew him. So sad. He apparently had a Bar Mitzvah in our synagogue and apparently his brother just had a Bar Mitzvah there while I was away for the summer. Just a bit too close for comfort....

ugh.

debbie444

Ravdeb. How awful, but it brings it home that there are other things out there as well as BC, like i used to say when i was having chemo - it could be worse i could have a broken leg as well!
I am glad that something is being done for your daughter. My path results took 2 1/2 weeks. The results from the actual op and lymph nodes were supposed to take 3 weekd but i was back in after i haemmorraged so they got them back earlier. The results to see whether i could take herceptin took 5 MONTHS! My onc was going spare!
Tomorrow i am taking the kids to a water rave. Goodness knows what i have let myself in for, lots of water and inflatables i guess.


Here i am being a lego fireman - the one of me powering the fire engine were taken from the rear - not flattering!

Are all my rock orders in?
I have

Teryn
Justin
John Michael
Kiersten
Tracey
Tadah

Take care
Debbie